BERITAJAKARTA.COM — 11/6/2009 5:48:28 PM
Cemetery is identical with spooky atmosphere. But that typical is different with the old cemetery in Jl Tanahabang I, Central Jakarta. It has been aged for 4 centuries. It saves many priceless art objects. It is Museum Taman Prasasti, people nearby call it as Kebonjahe Kober cemetery.
In the auditorium there are 16 giant ancient inscriptions made by black steel and also some others inscriptions.
At the left side of the cemetery, there is an old hearse in a gazebo. Not many people know about it.
It has 6 meters length. It was made by a black teak and glass wall on its sides and back. It is tidily saved at the museum. It still looks strong.
Allegedly, it was functioned as the carrier for the Netherlands’ body from a boat in Krukut River. It was used only for the Netherlands. Native Indonesian could not use it.
The coffin of Indonesia’s first president, Soekarno and Indonesia’s first Vice President Muhammad Hatta are also placed there. VOC officials’ gravestone is also there, for example Olivia Marianne Raffles’s gravestone. She was a wife of VOC Governor General, Thomas Stamford Raffles who passed away in 1816, and Netherland and England figures A.V. Michelle and Dr. H.F. Roll (founding of medical school at the era of Dutch colonialism) and Capt. Jas (his grave is believed by the people to give fertility, security, prosperous and happiness).
The cemetery is divided into 10 blocks and it has almost 1,500 collections. Most of the gravestones were written in the year around 1800 to 1900.
At that time, there were only VOC officials who could be buried there. But time to time, common people could also be buried there, with an expensive cost.
Museum Taman Prasasti name was established in 1977. Previously, people knew it as Kebonjahe Kober. Because of city development, the previous wide of it around 5.5 hectares, it is now shrinking into only 1.3 hectares.
Translator: ajeng
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